Career Explorer Engineering and architecture
Grows with AI
Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
Promote worksite or product safety by applying knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, chemistry, psychology, and industrial health and safety laws. Includes industrial product safety engineers.
In the middle of the pack: more resilient than 43% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.4% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision and ethical judgement.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $115,160
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.4%
- Openings a year
- 1,200
- People doing it (2025)
- 22,300
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Research technology designs or applications
- Investigate organizational or operational problems
- Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Advise others on workplace health or safety issues
- Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures
- Teach safety procedures or standards to others
What the work looks like
- Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures.
- Conduct research to evaluate safety levels for products.
- Evaluate product designs for safety.
- Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment.
- Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Civil engineersGrows with AI, Index 44, +6.4%
- Computer and information systems managersGrows with AI, Index 61, +15.8%
- Natural sciences managersGrows with AI, Index 55, +8.2%
- Chemical engineersGrows with AI, Index 54, +4.7%
Also known as: Product Safety Engineer, Safety and Health Consultant, Safety Engineer, System Safety Engineer, Engineer, Fire Protection Consultant, Fire Protection Engineer (FPE), Professional Fire Protection Engineer.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.